Work-support for sewing-machines.



F. E. KNOBL OCK. WOR K SUPPORT FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1918.

1,300,848, Patented Apr; 15, 1919.

UNITED srarnsrnrnnr orrion.

FBEDERIK E. KN'OBLOCK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRATON & KNIGHT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COB,-

PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

wonx-surronr non SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

'Beit known that I, FREDERIk E; KNOB- LooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Statefof"Massachusetts, have invented a. newand useful Work-Support for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. r i r This inventionjrelatesto a device for holdingthework while being operated upon by a sewing, machine. More specifically it relates to aidevice on which a hollow article of leather is placed in order that its corner seaminay befsiewed on a sewing machine, the same being capable of moving as may be necessary in order. to permit of the seam being sewed entirely around the articlewhatever its shape may be. r Heretofore leather articles, such as circular,

square, and other shaped covers and boxes and thelike, haveusually been held in the handsof the operator while having their corner seams sewed and have been hand guided throughout the course of the operation. By

this; invention the article is simply placed on a block of the proper shape and the seam started. The block has to turn with the article as the sewing of the-seam proceeds and is so restrictedin itsmotion that while it is free to move in the proper direction itmust follow thefshape of the article and a completed seam can besewed which is more even than any that can be sewedby the most skilled operators, and. yet in the .case of a comparatively large article does not require close attention from the time it starts until it is ready to be completed. This involves a greatimprovement the article itself and. a very important" saving in time and expense of labor. The invention involves the means for accomplishing these resultsand certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will appear.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 isa'perspectiVe view of a sewing machine :ofwellknown type with a pre ferred embodiment of this. invention shown as applied thereto and in aform for sewing square or rectangular box covers, and

-Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it from another angle. l V

-Although a considerable portion of the sewing machine is shown in F ig. 1 that does I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 6, 1918. 1 Serial No. 238,431.

Patented not constitute a part of this invention and will-not be described in detail. It can be applied to many types of sewing machines having a needle feed as for example that shown 'in' Patent'No. 786,410 of April 4, 1905. The onlyparts necessary to be mentioned are the work rest 10 and the needle 11. The needle in this type of machine reciprocates vertically and the work rest is located according to the present invention at an inclination so that the edge of the article to be sewed can be placed flat on the same and the article held in inclined position. In this way the seam sewed will be an inclined one passing through the edge of the side of the article and the adjacent edge of the end or bottom thereof so as to attach the two together. It is to be understood that in ordinary practice the article is held inexactly this position by hand, the work 'rest 10 being well known in this industry.

In order to avoid the necessity for handmanipulation of the article to be sewed I Apr. 15, 1919.

have provided a block 12 which fits within the article and supports it positively. The article is shaped up in any of the ordinary ways known in this industry and secured to this block by any of any usual securing means that are well understood. The block then restson the work rest 10 in such position that the article is held exactly in its usual position. i e i In order to guide the article and have it always in the right position even when corners have to be turned, as in the article shown in Fig.1, this block is providedwith a shaft 13 fixed to it and projectingjnormally from its center. The block is adjustable on the shaft by reason of being secured to it by screw threaded engagement. A normally tight fit is desirable. At the other end of this shaft is a block exactly like the block 12. a

On. afixed surface near the machineis placed a support 15 for holding and guiding the shaft 13. In the form shown in Fig. 1 this is providedwith a supporting andguiding surface 16 parallel with the slanting upper surface of the rest 10 andhaving a guiding surface 17 at right angles thereto. The.

edge of the block 14 rests on the surface 16 while the flat rear side of .the block 14 rests 14 shaped against these surfaces and thus they con stitute means for limiting the position of the Work.

In the operation of the device the operator places the parts in the position indicated in Fig. 1 and starts the 'machine. It will sew a straight seam in the usual way, the ordion account of sewing around the corner its lower end is caused to rise on account of the block 14: turning with the block 12. This keeps the parts in proper position so that there will be no change in the angle of the sewing no matter whether the seam is straight or subjected to changes in direction. .The operator holds the parts down on their guiding surfaces and the article always retains the correct position.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the parts are substantially the same except that the block 22 is cylindrical because the article to be sewed in this case is cylindrical. The shaft 23 is fixed to the block 22 as in the other case. In this case, the entire sewing operation is on a circular surface and the entire motion of the device is one of rotation. Therefore I have provided a support 25 fixed on the bench for example, and on this is a pivot shaft 26 on which is pivoted a block 27. This block 27 has a bearing for the shaft 23 so that the latter turns therein. During the entire operation in this case the shaft 23 merely turns without changing its position because the center of the block 22 must remain stationary. As in Fig. 1 the block is held down on the work rest 10, by hand the operator grasping the shaft 23 to steady the work. This shaft constitutes a handle for manipulating the work.

The reason for pivoting the block 27 is to provide an easy way for moving the work back from the machine and also to provide and adjustment in case the machine is to be used to sew an article of a different diameter. This adjustment can be called entirely automatic because the circular block is attached centrally to the end ofthe shaft 23 and the work lowered on the work rest which will leave the parts in proper position no matter what the diameter of the article may be.

I have used this invention in practice and.

found that it saves a great deal of labor and time, because it is easier to get the work into proper position and because it is no longer necessary for the operator to exert so much force to keep the work accurately in place, and the amount of spoiled work is very greatly reduced. A comparatively unskilled operator can produceabout three times as much work as a skilled one bythe old hand method. It is also a great adv-antage because the work is absolutely uniform and there are no variations in the direction of the stitches.

Although I have illustrated and described? only two forms of the invention I am aware of the fact that other modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art and that it can be applied to other types of sewing machines without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited in these respects, but what I do claim is:--- j v i 1. The combination with a sewing machine having a work rest and adapted to sew a corner seam, of a block fitting within the work and adapted to rest on the work rest, a shaft projecting from the block, a block on the other end of said shaft having the same shape as the first named block and similarly located, and a support having a surface which the second .block freely engages for supporting and guiding the second block and controlling the position of the work.

2. The combination with a sewing machine having an inclined work rest for receiving the outer edge of an article to be sewed, of a block having a non-circular surf rounding edge, shaped to fit within the article to be sewed, and means for locating said edge of the block in inclined position on the work rest and allowing it to turn thereon about an axis substantially parallel.

with said inclined SUI'IZLCBIOCEthG work rest sald means having two surfaces at an angle to each other for keeping the'block in the same position relative to the work rest throughout the sewing of the seam.

3. The combination with a sewlng .machlne havmg an 1ncl1ned work rest, of a block adapted to fit snugly within the article to be sewed so as to partake ofits motions, and means for locating the block in inclined position on the work rest and al-.

lowing it to turn thereon, said means comprising an inclined surface constituting a limiting means for limiting the motion of the block and article down the inclined surface of the work-rest, theblock being held toward it by hand.

4c. The combination with a sewing machine having a work rest and adapted to sew a corner seam, of a block fitting within the work and adapted to rest on the w'orkrest, a shaft fixed to the center of the block, and a support fixed in position having a flat guiding surface thereon for the end of said shaft for holding the shaft in such position as to permit the block to turn as the sewing proceeds and keep it at the proper angle on the work rest. 7

5. The combination with a sewing machine having a work rest and adapted to sew a corner seam, of a block fitting within the work and adapted to rest on the work rest, a shaft projecting from the block, a block on the other end of said shaft having the same shape as the first named block, and a support having an inclined surface on which the second block rests, said surface constituting means for holding the shaft in such position as to. permit the blocks'to turn as the sewing proceeds and keep the first named block at the proper angle on the work rest.

6. The combination with a sewing machine having a work rest and adapted to sew a corner seam, of a block fitting Within the work and adapted to rest on the work rest, a shaft projecting from the block, a block on the other end of said shaft having the same shape as the first named block and similarly located, and a support having an inclined surface on which the second block rests at its edge and also an inclined surface against which the flat end of said second block rests, the first named surface being substantially parallel with the surface of the work support, and the second surface perpendicular thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FREDERIK E. KNOBLOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' ZPatents,

Washington, D. G, 

